Human Rights Activists Support Hong Kong Students' Hunger Strike
NTDTelevision
2012-09-04
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A hunger strike relay by Hong Kong students, which started at government headquarters on Thursday in protest over the national education course, has caused a reaction from a group of Chinese rights activists.
Three students started a hunger strike on Thursday which lasted for more than 40 hours.
On Saturday as they ended the fast, another ten students and teachers c in.
More than 40 thousand people also took to the streets in protest, urging the Hong Kong government to withdraw the national education school program.
Hong Kong author Cheung Shing Kok was a victim of the CCP's anti-rightist campaign in mainland China in 1945.
[Cheung Shing Kok, Author]:
"The students taking part in the hunger strike are full of passion and a sense of justice. It's very exciting that they use their actions to say no to the political brainwashing by Beijing's totalitarian regime."
Joshua Wong, a fifteen-year-old student who last year co-founded a student group called "Scholarism" to protest against the national education curriculum, said the group had tried other avenues to voice their concern.
This included a protest on July29, where 90 thousand people took to the streets to oppose the "brainwashing" curriculum.
[Joshua Wong, Student]:
"We realized that this [national education plan] is a political mission. We had no more counter-plans. We didn't see a way out. So we were forced to escalate our action and did what we could—to occupy and to start a hunger strike."
Hu Jia, a prominent Chinese rights activist, was arrested in 2006 after going on a 30-day hunger strike with Chinese lawyer Gao Zhisheng to defend human rights.
[Hu Jia, Chinese Rights Activist]:
"When these three students ended their hunger strike, I was happy to see that other college students took on a relay. I hope this hunger strike can continue until Hong Kong's government takes back the national education course."
Fang Zheng was a student during the June 4th Tiananmen student protests in 1989. His legs were crushed by tanks as they rolled through to stop the protests.
He says the concept of democracy and freedom that is blossoming in Hong Kong is having a big influence on the mainland.
[Fang Zheng, Tianamen Student Activist]:
"Hong Kong's existence is a big threat to the Communist Party's dictatorship regime. The regime is scared so it's launched this [education course]. I feel it's a battle now, a battle for freedom, and it's very important."
Activists see the hunger strike relay as a reflection of the growing anti-CCP sentiment in Hong Kong, particularly from the younger generation.
To date, the Hong Kong government has no plan to revoke the national education plan.
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Three students started a hunger strike on Thursday which lasted for more than 40 hours.
On Saturday as they ended the fast, another ten students and teachers c in.
More than 40 thousand people also took to the streets in protest, urging the Hong Kong government to withdraw the national education school program.
Hong Kong author Cheung Shing Kok was a victim of the CCP's anti-rightist campaign in mainland China in 1945.
[Cheung Shing Kok, Author]:
"The students taking part in the hunger strike are full of passion and a sense of justice. It's very exciting that they use their actions to say no to the political brainwashing by Beijing's totalitarian regime."
Joshua Wong, a fifteen-year-old student who last year co-founded a student group called "Scholarism" to protest against the national education curriculum, said the group had tried other avenues to voice their concern.
This included a protest on July29, where 90 thousand people took to the streets to oppose the "brainwashing" curriculum.
[Joshua Wong, Student]:
"We realized that this [national education plan] is a political mission. We had no more counter-plans. We didn't see a way out. So we were forced to escalate our action and did what we could—to occupy and to start a hunger strike."
Hu Jia, a prominent Chinese rights activist, was arrested in 2006 after going on a 30-day hunger strike with Chinese lawyer Gao Zhisheng to defend human rights.
[Hu Jia, Chinese Rights Activist]:
"When these three students ended their hunger strike, I was happy to see that other college students took on a relay. I hope this hunger strike can continue until Hong Kong's government takes back the national education course."
Fang Zheng was a student during the June 4th Tiananmen student protests in 1989. His legs were crushed by tanks as they rolled through to stop the protests.
He says the concept of democracy and freedom that is blossoming in Hong Kong is having a big influence on the mainland.
[Fang Zheng, Tianamen Student Activist]:
"Hong Kong's existence is a big threat to the Communist Party's dictatorship regime. The regime is scared so it's launched this [education course]. I feel it's a battle now, a battle for freedom, and it's very important."
Activists see the hunger strike relay as a reflection of the growing anti-CCP sentiment in Hong Kong, particularly from the younger generation.
To date, the Hong Kong government has no plan to revoke the national education plan.
For more news and videos visit ☛ http://english.ntdtv.com
Follow us on Twitter ☛ http://twitter.com/NTDTelevision
Add us on Facebook ☛ http://on.fb.me/s5KV2C
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